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Teams in every sport, at every level of competition, have a mascot. It is the mascot that represents the competitive spirit and team identity, motivating players and fans alike. Does the symbol chosen have any impact on whether a team wins or loses? Unlikely. But the choice of a Native American mascot continues to ignite debate and controversy among athletes, fans and alumni, as well as those people who might otherwise be disinterested in sports. Utilizing an Indian mascot is nothing more than a veiled attempt at hate speech. The dispute over whether Native American mascots should be used as a team symbol dates back to the 1970’s (Price 2). People differ on the basic issue, but there is a more important underlying principle. It is called freedom. Determining whether or not someone is harmed by a practice can reveal whether that practice can or should be morally justified. Wherein lies the truth about exercising the use of American Indian mascots? The reality is that they cannot be morally justified. The certainty is not ascertainable by way of any comparison to other similar phenomena. No such comparison can be made as none exits. Then, are not the only relevant voices those of the Indians themselves? If so, the truth regarding this imagery can only be discovered by conferring with the groups that are depicted. Only those portrayed should have a voice. Or at the very least, be heard louder and more clearly than those who are not mirrored in the representations. Viewing this issue from a Utilitarian perspective, one reasons the justification that Native Americans convey to support the claim that Indian mascots pose harm need not themselves be obliged by those of alternative ethnicities. What Native Americans say about Ind... ... middle of paper ... ...ce. Wausau East Library, Wausau, WI. 16 Nov. 2008. . Morrison, Rich. “Special Interview: Rich Morrison Speaks Out in Favor of Native American Sports Mascots.” Issues and Controversies on File. 29 Mar. 2002. Issues and Controversies. Facts on File. Wausau East Library. Wausau, WI. 10 Nov. 2008. . “Native American Sports Mascots.” Issues and Controversies On File. 12 April. 2002. Issues and Controversies. Facts On File. Wausau East Library. Wausau, WI. 10 Nov. 2008. . Price, S.L. “The Indian Wars.” Sports Illustrated 4 Mar. 2002: 1-5. SI.com. 16 Nov. 2008. . Wieberg, Steve. “NCAA Ponders Future of Indian Nicknames.” USA Today 15 May. 2005. SIRS Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. Wausau East Library, Wausau, WI. 16 Nov. 2008.< http://www.sirs.com>.
Team mascots that depict a certain type of group is wrong and should be changed. It is degrading and hurtful to far too many people to keep them from staying the same. Native Americans or any other race or ethnicity should not be stereotyped in a way that degrades them in any way. All teams that have mascots that are named after a certain race or ethnicity should be changed.
The author Justin Angle says how in a study the mascots and names were shown to people unfamiliar with Native American culture and the sport teams, in the end of the study most of the participants viewed Native American’s as “war like”, which can carry negative consequences in the real world affecting the views of some future employers, creating a view that though Native American’s can be seen as strong and bold they can also have been perceived as violent and irrational. The uses of Redskins also create the belief that it is culturally appropriate for the constant use of Native American culture this has led to thousands of schools and sports teams to have questionable mascots and names. Such as the Savages from Salmon High school and the baseball team the “Indians” whose mascot was a hooked nose red skinned Indian with bucked teeth. Comparing this to the now frowned upon depiction of African American as black red lipped stereotyped popular in the 1920s advertisements does it not show similarities in a cultures becoming a caricature. While one is view as racist the other is view and honorable due to it representing one of the greatest passtimes in America,
In the past few years, the controversy over Native American and other racial sport names or mascots have become an uproar. The main sport teams that are being targeted due to controversial mascots are programs having names dealing with Native Americans. Many teams are well known programs such as the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are receiving the most heat from racial groups. According to Erik Brady of USA Today “The volatility surrounding such names has amped up in the year since Daniel Snyder, owner of Washington's NFL club, told USA TODAY Sports that he'd never change his team's name: ‘NEVER — you can use caps.’” (3). However, professional teams are not the only teams receiving negative remarks,
Wooster R. (1998). The Military and United States Indian policy 1865-1903 (pp. 43, 47). West
Modern day Native American are widely known as stewards of the environment who fight for conservation and environmental issues. The position of the many Native American as environmentalists and conservationists is justified based on the perception that before European colonists arrived in the Americas, Native Americans had little to no effect on their environment as they lived in harmony with nature. This idea is challenged by Shepard Krech III in his work, The Ecological Indian. In The Ecological Indian, Krech argues that this image of the noble savage was an invented tradition that began in the early 1970’s, and that attempts to humanize Native Americans by attempting to portray them as they really were. Krech’s arguments are criticized by Darren J Ranco who in his response, claims that Krech fails to analyze the current state of Native American affairs, falls into the ‘trap’ of invented tradition, and accuses Krech of diminishing the power and influence of Native Americans in politics. This essay examines both arguments, but ultimately finds Krech to be more convincing as Krech’s
Logos in professional sports like the Cleveland Indians with the added features to the logo has caused a lot of conflict in the past and today. Most schools or franchises that have Native American mascots have tribal people who will stand up for the name and say that you can have them as long as they are not doing anything that people would find offensive to the culture of the Native Americans. A college in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Central Michigan University, has a native tribe name for their mascot, the Chippewas. However, the school does not have an offensive logo, doesn’t have anyone dressed up at sporting events, or for activities around campus.
In all sports, teams use mascots to represent their team’s pride, strength, and will to win. The role the mascot plays is an intimidation factor, as well as something to motivate the team. Teams will have mascots that range from anything, from an animal to an inanimate object, like a hammer or an orange. Mascots rarely fall under scrutiny, except for the mascots that represent Native American tribes, people or cultures. Many schools and teams use some sort of Native American reference as a mascot. The Native American mascots used range from names like the Indians, Chiefs, and Braves, which are some of the more generic ones, to Seminoles, Fighting Illini, and Chippewas to name some of the tribal based names.
the author tries to convince his audience that the use of Indian names and mascots is wrong. He argues that most of the problems that come with the usage of Indian names are that the team name has been around for so long that it loses its meaning. Shakely also states that the use of Indian or Native American names in sports should be done away with just like all of the other ethnic names in sports that have been thrown out. On the other hand, in the article “What’s in a (Team) Name” written by John J. Miller (2001), the author talks about why using Indian names gives great significance to the meaning. The author makes the point that a team doesn’t name itself after a particular Indian tribe to dishonor them. In fact, he says they do it
Many of the most controversial mascots in history have been caricatures of indigenous peoples. One of the most famous is “the Chicago Redskins,” with a picture of a Native American on its flag. There has been an on-going campaign to change the name by fans of the NFL, which have been dismissed by the owner, Dan Snyder, and the NFL alike. Despite the mascot being portrayed in a positive light, it is still representing a stereotype and encouraging racism. Chicago sports teams seem to admire the fighting spirit of the Native Americans, hockey fans cheer on “the Chicago Blackhawks.” Again the mascot is an Indian, fully dressed with feathers and face paint. While many people are offended by the use of a particular race of people being used as a mascot, The Executive Vice President of the Blackhawks tribe doesn’t seem to mind, calling the team’s logo “respectful and proud.” The Florida State University “Seminoles” managed to escape a name change due to outrage over a new rule by the NCAA, banning the use of American Indians as mascots. The Florida Seminole Tribe endor...
Many owners of the teams had used the excuse that such names, like the Washington Redskins, where meant to be representing the pride and honor of Native Americans, when the reality is that they are dishonoring their culture for a sport. Sports teams shouldn't look for greatness just for representing Native Americans in their names and mascots, when they are actually butchering them. No one asked the Native Americans if they would get offended by such names, and sure they didn't go rioting around the streets feeling demoralized with how the white men slaughtered and made a ridicule of their culture. After all, if cursing the Indians with bad luck so they can be defeated in a game isn't disrespectful, then what is?
Redskins, Seminoles, Tribe, Indians, what do they all have in common? They are all athletic team names under scrutiny by people who deem them as being racist. For years, people have argued over the fact that these names and/or mascots are being used in a negative way. Some have been changed while others are still being argued over. Teams with these mascots should not be forced to change their names because the majority of Native Americans are not even bothered by these sports names.
European colonists offered compensation for the scalps of Native American men, women, and children: “50 pounds for adult male scalps; 25 for adult female scalps; and 20 for scalps of boys and girls under age 12” (Holmes, par.3). The “redskins” mascot glorifies this horrific time period in Native American history. Philip Martin states “[p]aying money for scalps of women and even children reflected the true intent of the campaign-to reduce native populations to extinction…so the native could not oppose European seizure of Indian lands” (par. 7). Hereafter, the genocide of Native American people is the direct result of the colonist operation of buying “redskins.” Therefore the name “redskin” is a constant reminder of the scalping of Native American ancestors. Fortunately Native American people survived the genocide but the societal approval of this mascot negatively acknowledges the historical trauma Native American people deal with
The article “Indian Mascots-You’re Out” by Jack Shakley, was published in the Los Angeles Times in August 2011. The author argues the issues of sport teams having Native American names. The author wrote the article due to more and more Native Americans protesting at stadiums. This article can be divided into five sections. In the introduction, the author opens the article by giving us history on how he first encountered this topic in the early 1950s. He tells the readers, that his father gave him money to buy a baseball cap, but was also conflicted. He originally wanted a Yankees hat because of a fellow Oklahoma Mickey, Mantle came up as being touted as the rookie of the year. Since he is mixed with Muscogee/Creek, he felt misplaced to the
The next reason we’ll be looking at are the stereotypical images commonly seen in literature and mascots. Mainstream media such as “Dances with Wolves”, “The Lone Ranger”, and “The Last of The Mohicans” and mascots in professional sports teams like Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago Blackhawks all include representations of Native Americans that for some, are offensive. With this in mind, ...
“It is a way of using another culture in a way that delights our imagination, while stripping that group of their identity.” This is how Author Lenore Keeshig-Tobias defines appropriation. Stripping the Native community of their identity is exactly what the use of these mascots is doing. The use of Native American mascots is racist, dehumanizing, degrading, and people “supporting” their teams has made it become dangerous for Native people.